A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a massager. More particularly the present invention relates to a detachable footrest massager for use with a massage chair.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Massage chairs are generally known to have in their seatbacks internal massage heads rotationally driven by their respective motors to effect mechanical rolling, kneading and tapping actions in an attempt to simulate what is performed by the human massagists.
As FIG. 9 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,940 exemplifies, leg-massaging footrests are known to resemble ottoman furniture with raised pressure walls moving toward and away from the sides of the legs of the user to stimulate the same sides of the legs sequentially lengthwise. Such conventional footrests are generally characterized by their distinctive massaging mechanism apart from the massage units in the massage chair on which the footrest is based. Those massaging mechanisms have been confined to exert lateral pressures directed to the left and right sides of the legs and couldn't help but designed irrespectively of the chair massaging systems where multiple rotating heads provide substantially perpendicular pressures to the relatively flat body areas like upper and lower backs. This individual approach to the body sections doubles the complexity of the otherwise simple process of delivering a competitive but affordable massaging benefit to the general public.
In view of the foregoing deficiency of the prior art chair massagers, an object of the present invention is to provide a unified massaging mechanism throughout the chair/footrest massage system to minimize the cost of manufacturing and subsequently maintaining such system while effecting the same quality massaging performance of the prior art devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a footrest massager utilizing the same design of components of the massaging units for the seatback while effecting a multi-directional massage pressure of lateral as well as perpendicular elements to the legs, calves and/or feet from under thereof.